Jeff Tweedy performed two solo sets this past weekend, at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Massachusetts, Friday night, and at Beacon High School in upstate New York, in a fundraiser for the Clearwater organization co-founded by Pete Seeger, who also performed. Rolling Stone says "Tweedy, like Seeger, engaged the crowd throughout his set ... He also sang with crisp vocals and rich vocal inflection on 'Passenger Side' and played haunting harmonica lines on 'Via Chicago.'” The Republican says Tweedy was equally humble and successful with the sold-out crowd at the Calvin: "Tweedy was magnificent over the course of his 25-song set, recounting the Wilco catalog in acoustic form."
Jeff Tweedy performed two solo sets this past weekend, first with Wilco band mate Mikael Jorgensen's Pronto project opening at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Massachusetts, Friday night, and next at Beacon High School in upstate Beacon, New York, in a fundraiser for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization co-founded by Pete Seeger to fight pollution on New York's longest river.
In fact, 89-year-old Seeger, who celebrates his 90th in another Clearwater benefit concert at Madison Square Garden on May 3 with Emmylou Harris and Kate & Anna McGarrigle among many others, performed at the Beacon High event as well. Rolling Stone's John Barry writes:
Tweedy, like Seeger, engaged the crowd throughout his set, entertaining requests and indulging one fan who yelled out for “Hummingbird.” He also sang with crisp vocals and rich vocal inflection on “Passenger Side” and played haunting harmonica lines on “Via Chicago.” But that was after he used a harmonica that was seemingly in the wrong key, stopped the song and tossed it to the side of the stage before exclaiming with sarcasm, “flawless.”
Tweedy also offered an early listen to songs from Wilco's forthcoming, as-yet-untitled Nonesuch release, due out this summer.
Barry also reports that Tweedy was more than a little humble in light of his fellow performer: "There are a lot of things to marvel at," said Tweedy, "like Pete Seeger playing before me." Seeger and his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, also joined Tweedy for the encore.
For a complete concert run-down and set list, visit rollingstone.com.
---
According to The Republican, the Western Massachusetts daily, Tweedy was equally humble and successful with the Northampton crowd in Friday night's sold-out show at the Calvin. "Tweedy was magnificent over the course of his 25-song set, recounting the Wilco catalog in acoustic form," writes the paper's Donnie Moorhouse, asserting:
In the end, Jeff Tweedy didn't need the microphone, the amps, and probably could've gotten away without the stage. Such was the power of the Wilco founder's two hour set at the Calvin Theater which culminated in the singer sans all electronic devices singing out to the crowd.
Read the full concert review at masslive.com.
---
"Jeff Tweedy's solo acoustic performance at the Calvin Theater made it easy to see why folks have been calling him one of the most prominent songwriters of his generation since before Wilco had made its way into the public consciousness," says JamBase reviewer Andrew Bruss. "Without the sonic complexities of Nels Cline's avant-garde guitar wizardry or the percussive onslaught of Glenn Kotche, Tweedy's tunes stood bare in an intimate environment that allowed a crowd of devout Wilco fans to appreciate his songwriting solely for their lyrical structure, imagery and chord progressions." Read the review at jambase.com.
---
Wilco begins a spring tour with two nights of sold-out concerts at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater on April 14 and 15. For upcoming tour dates, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
- Log in to post comments
